Building-blocks.



E. T. LIKES.,

BUILDING BLOCKS. APPLICATION PILED sBPT.12,'113.

Lm, Patented Jan.12,1915.

ing my invention.

after more fully described and as awnings fr. minas, or pas aromas,Iowa.

BUILDING-encens.

I specification of Letters rtent.- Patentedgan, 12., 19.15,

v .application ined september. 12, 191s.A serialmu. cannes.-

To all whomz't may concern.'

Be it known that I, ELBR-men T. Limes, a citizenof the United States,residing at Des Moines, in the county -of Polk and State of Iowa,haveinvented new and -useful Improvements in Building-Blocks, of whichthe following is a specification.

The present invention comprehends iinprovements in building blocks andrelates more particularly to means for reinforcmg and connectingthe'blocks together.

It is the primary object of the present invention to provide areinforcing for building blocks which will-also -be used for connectingand binding the blocks together to form a rigid building wall.

Another object of the. present invention is to provide a reinforcing ofthe character described, which will be comparatively inexpensive in thecost of manufacture, strong durable and reliable when in use and havingmeans whereby the building blocks may be readily and easily tiedtogether.

With the above and other objects in view, this invention consists of thenovel features of construction, the combination, formation andarrangement of parts, as will be hereinparticularly pointed out in theclaim.

In the accompanying drawings has been illustrated the simple andpreferred forms of my invention, it being understood that no limitationis necessarily madev to the precise structural details thereinexhibited, but the right is reserved to make any changes to whichrecourse may be made within the scope of the invention, withoutdeparting from the spirit thereof.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a front elevation of a pair of buildingblocks embody- Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the same taken on theline 2-2 of 'Fig 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional perspective view ofone of the building blocks, and Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse sectiontaken on the line 4 4 Fig. 1.

Thebuilding blocks A and B as shown in the accompanying drawing consistof the ordinary material and are made rectangular in formation toillustrate the present invention, but it is of course understood thatthese building blocks may be of any configuration, suitable for anybuilding purposes. Each of the said building blocks have centrallylocated therein a net work C forming a suitable reinforcement to insuredurability to `the vblocksqr-.which consist preferablyl ofstrands ofwire having the opposite ends thereof protruding beyond the sides of theblock, which when connected with the protruding ends of theadjacentblock will form a. binding tie. To provide means for tying andreinforcing the upper and lower ends of the blocks, -I- rovide-'aconnection D comprising longitu nally extending rods which rest withinrecesses upon the upper and lower faces of the blocks. v

In more specifically vdescribing the present invention-the net -work Ccomprises aplu rality -of longitudinally extending strands of wire 1,which are :suitablyspaced apart within the central portion fof eachblock between theupper and lower edges thereof. These horizontal wires 1:are connected lby vertical strands of the wire 2 which are embeddedwithin 4the block and having 'their opposite ends terminating adjacentthe upper and lower edges of each block. These vertical and horizontalwires 1 and 2 cross each other first above and then under, to form aconnection which will prevent the strands from pulling apart whenembedded within the building blocks. As more clearly shown in Figs. 41and 3 of the drawing, the upper, lower and central horizontal strands lprotrude beyond the opposite ends of the blocks to provide means wherebythe said ends may be tied to similar protruding ends of the adjacentblocks.

In building a wall, one of the blocks A is first placed in position anda block B is positionedv adjacent thereto. The protruding ends 3 of thewires are then twisted together, as indicated by the numeral 4 in Figs.l and 2 of the drawing, thereby forming a binding tie between the endsof the blocks. The block B is then forced against the block A butleaving a space 5 between the adjacent ends, in which is placed mortarfor concealing the same. From the foregoing, it is obvious that the network C will provide a suitable reinforcement for each building block,which when connected together will form a binding tie and when themortar is placed within the opening 5, the blocks will act as onecontinuous wall.

The connection D between the upper and lower ends of the blocks compriselongitudinally extending recesses 6 formed within the medial portion ofthe upper and lower faces of the blocks, which I have shownsubstantially semi-circular in cross section. Within these recesses areadapted to rest, the cylindrical rods 7 so that when the blocks areplaced upon each other and mortared in, the

rods 7 will also act as a binding tie as well as a reinforcing member.

Whereas, in the accompanying drawings, I have illustrated the rod 7- asbeing cylindrical, it is of course understood that these rods may berectangular or; any other shape' or size Adesired and that theA recessesshould conform to the outer conguration of the said rods. These rods,may also extend lon` igitudinally across the entire building,wa1l' g orthey may be made in sections of tliedej'Y sired length.

I claim v A building` wall comprising a plurality of Y'blocksconstructed of plastic material, the

tive elements ofthe next adjacent block, I

adjacent ends of the blocks being spaced from each other, reinforcingmeans embedded in each of the blocks and embodying flexible elementsprojecting 'beyond the ends of 'the blocks, said elements being spacedfrom the lateral faces and also from the top and bottom edges of theblocks, the elements of one blo'ck being twisted with the respecsaidtwistedlpoirtion being arranged in the space between the ends of theblocks and' spaced from the lateral faces of the blocks,

*said* blocks each having open grooves in their top andbottom edges insubstantial lalinement with the reinforcing material, but

spaced therefrom, said grooves having open ends, the grooves of adjacentblocks coperating to form substantially continuous seats, and additionallreinforcing elements satd in the grooves and extending across the4spakce between adjacent vedges of the blocks, tha said 'space beinglfilled with a bonding material, the twisted portions lof the firstrecitedeinforcing elements, and vthe portion of the said additionalreinforc- I ELBRIDGET. LIKES.

' Witnesses:

G. L. NoRRIs, G. B'. CREATE.

